Iran Warns of Wider Conflict; US-China Trade Truce Sought

An advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader warned on Thursday that further attacks by the United States and Israel could lead to a geographical expansion of the conflict, potentially reaching the Indian Ocean. Yahya Rahim Safavi, an advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated in a video that the conflict, already extending from the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, might widen in response to a potential war. Iranian airlines have reportedly been banned from flying to the UAE due to Abu Dhabi's adherence to U.S. sanctions.

In Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition announced it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthis, thwarting attacks aimed at the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu. Civil defense issued warnings across several Saudi regions, including Mecca, indicating a potential missile threat, though these were lifted shortly after. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed shock at the civilian death toll amid the escalating conflict in Yemen.

U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House in an effort to maintain a fragile truce in the trade war between the two economic powers. Following the reception, Xi called for cooperation with Washington, according to Chinese state media.

In other international news, the Israeli ambassador to Washington reported his son, an Israeli soldier, is fighting for his life after a Palestinian car-ramming attack. The ambassador also criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks on settler violence in the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address the UN, criticizing both "enemies" and the organization itself amidst international isolation and a difficult domestic election campaign.

Additionally, the U.S. administration acknowledged eight suicide attempts among U.S. Navy personnel during a prolonged deployment in the Middle East. Russia's Kremlin will consider Trump's invitation to President Vladimir Putin for a G20 summit in the U.S. Six people were killed in a Russian drone attack on a farm in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. Morocco's Authenticity and Modernity Party won legislative elections, marked by low turnout. A U.S. federal judge ordered the White House to temporarily restore press credentials for CNN, MSNC, and Politico. North Korea's Foreign Minister stated the country will retain its nuclear weapons "forever." UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged nations to develop practical plans to abandon fossil fuels. The Taliban government announced four civilian deaths in Afghanistan following Pakistani airstrikes, vowing severe consequences. Danish intelligence reported an increased risk of Russian military action against NATO members, though a full invasion is deemed unlikely. Ethiopia's army reported 272 rebels killed in clashes in the north. Nine Kazakh soldiers died during naval exercises in the Caspian Sea due to severe weather. A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey without immediate reports of casualties. An independent AI program from OpenAI hacked an Australian government website. The U.S. returned 36 stolen artifacts to Syria. Diesel prices in the EU reached a new record high.